Internal-combustion engine



Jan. 8, l1946.

G. DAVIES INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed June 19, 1944 Patented Jan.8, 1946 Application .time ie, 1944, 'serial No. 54eme In Great BritainSeptember 8, 1943 'This invention relatesv to internal combustionengines and more particularly 'to multi-.cylinder engines.

According to thepresent invention a multicylinder internal combustionengine comprises ka plurality of 'axially arranged engine cylinders eachhaving a piston reciprocating therein, all the pistons being connectedtogether for reciprocal movement as 'a unit for driving the engine crankshaft.y 'The engine may comprise one or more sets of four axiallyarranged cylinders, the pistons of each lset being connected together bya link which transmitsthe `reciprocal movement of the piston Yunit tothe crank 'journal of the engine crank shaft.

Toenable the invention to be fully understood it will now be describedwith reference to the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. 1 is alongitudinal section of an engine according to one form of theinvention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional plan view showing the link connectingthe piston rods and the bearing for connecting the piston unit to apower shaft, the engine cylinder being omitted for the sake of clarity,and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

As shown in the accompanying drawing the engine casing is formed by endcastings I, 2 attached by walls 3, 4 to the engine crank case, and acentral casting 5 also attached to the crank case. The castings arespaced apart axially and the spaces between themroutside the crank caseare covered by plates '6, l. The castings I and 2 comprise cylinders forpistons 8 and II and the casting 5 comprises cylinders for pistons 9 andIIJ. The pistons 8 and 9 are connected by a rod I2 and the pistons I0and II by a rod I3. A rotary sleeve valve I4 is rotatably mountedbetween the cylinder Walls and the pistons and is provided with a gearI5 mounted in ball bearings and adapted to be rotated by suitablegearing (not shown) driven from the main shaft of the engine.

The inner surface of the outer ends of the sleeve valve I4 have anannular recess to receive the skirt I6 of head members having walls I1,I8 forming housings for slidable piston-like members I9. The members I9are urged t-o engage the cylinder wall by a spring or springs and areeach formed with a passage 2I adapted to register, as the sleeve I4 isrotated, with inlet and outlet ports, such as 22, and a sparking plug orinjector opening 23, circumferentially spaced in the cylinder walladjacent to the slidable members. The sleeve I4 is formed with Walls 24,and 26,21 which form housings for slidable members '28 and '29. Theconstruction and function oi the slidable members I9, 28 and 29 arefully described in `our copending .application Serial No. "540,935, led.June 19, 1944, and further `description is not considered necessary.vThe head members are formed with hollow chambers 30, 3I and afurtherhollo'w chamber 32 is provided between the slidable members 28,L29 at the intermediate part of the sleeve I4. Oil for l.cooling `andlubricating is injected into these vchambers 30. '3I and 3'2 b y pipes33, 34, L35, a controlled part of this `oil .il-owing between the wallsof the `sleeve ,and the cylinder throughsuitable .conduits or grooves(not shown). The -oil is circulated through ichaznbers'll',l 43I and L32back to theenginesump.

The piston rods I2, I3 are connected together for movement as a unit bya link 36 the ends of winch are secured to the centre of the rods bypins 31, 38. The link 3E is slidably mounted in a recess in the outerwall of the sleeve I4, the wall being slotted at 39, 40 to permit theoscillation of the pins and link. The pin 38 is secured to an annularmember 4I having castellations 42 which cooperate with castel'iations 43of a cooperating annular member 44. Sufiicient play is provided betweenthe castellations 42, 43 to allow free relative rotation- The member 44is held around the sleeve I4 by a bolt 45 and is pivotally connected toa connecting rod 46 which is coupled with a crank journal 41 of the maindrive shaft of the engine.

In operation the gear I5 is rotated to rotate the sleeve I4 and thecombustion spaces of the cylinders are connected through the slidablemembers in timed sequence with the ports in the cylinders and suppliedwith combustible mixture which is compressed, ignited and subsequentlyexhausted. The timing of the four cylinders is so arranged that allpistons are always travelling in the same direction and by means of thelink 35 the reciprocation of the piston is transmitted through thethrust bearing members 4I, 44 to the connecting rod 46 and crank journalof the engine crank shaft.

If desired furtherf'sets of four cylinders similar to that shewn anddescribed may be arranged side by side, the pistons of each set beingcoupled for movement as a unit and connected by a connecting rod withseparate crank journals for driving a common main drive shaft. Anynumber of sets may be provided forl example 12 sets would provide a 48cylinder engine.

When several sets of cylinders are provided two sets or pistonsl may beconnected to a single crank l rod connecting one journal, if desired, byarranging for one of the connecting rods to have a forked end.

To reduce the overall dimensions of the engine 4the end castings land 2may be adapted to receive slidable members such as described in Figs. 4to 7 of our co-pending application No. 13,847 of 1943. Y

I claim: Y l. In 'a four-stroke cycle internal combustion engine, twopairs of open=endeddiametrical1y opposed cylinders, a pistonreciprocating in each of said cylinders, a connecting rodrigidlyconnecting' q the two pistons in each pair of opposed cylindersy 'a linkextending axially of the cylinder-s and rigj idly connected at each endwith a connecting rod of a pair of pistons, a power shaft, and means forconnecting one of said connectingrods with said power shaft.

each end of the link engaging one of the connecting rods, a power shaftand means for drivingly connecting one of said connecting rods with saidpower shaft.

4. In a four-stroke cycle internal combustion engine, two pairs ofopen-endedA diametrically opposed cylnders, a piston reciprocating in.each of said cylinders, connecting rods rigidly connecting the twopistons in each pair of opposed cylindens, a sleevel valve rotatablymounted between the inner wall of the cylinders and the pistons, a linkextending axially of the cylinders and slidably uimounted in a recess inthe sleeve valve, means at each vend of the link engaging one of theconnecting rods, means converting the combined rotary Yand reciprocatingmotion of the connecting rods v into simple reciprocating motion, acrank shaft 2. In a four-stroke cycle internal lconlbstion` engine, twopairs of open-ended diametric'ally 0pposed cylinders, a pistonreciprocating in each of said cylinders, a connecting'rod rigidlyrconnecting the'tworpistons in each pair ofi opposed cylin-v ders, a linkextending axially of the cylinders and rigidly connected at .each end.with asconnecting rod of a pair of pistons, a crankshaft'and a crank ofsaid connecting rods with said crankshaft. 'Y

3. In a four-stroke vcycle internal combustion engine, two pairs ofopen-endeddiametrically opposed cylinders, a piston'reciprocating ineach of said cylinders, connecting rods rigidlyconnecting the twopistons in each pair ,of opposed cylinders,

a sleeve valve rotatablyjmounted between" the inner Wall of thecylinders and the pistons, a' link extending axially of'. the cylindersand slidably mounted in a recess in the sleeve valve,r means at land acrank rod connecting the said crank shaft with saidmeans.

5. In a four-stroke cycle internal combustion engine, two pairs ofopen-ended diametrically opposed cylinders, fa' piston "reciprocating inVSeach of said.r cylinders, connecting rods rigidly connecting the twopistons in each pair of opposed jcy'linders, a sleeve valve rotatablymounted between the inner wall of the'cylinders and thepistons, a linkextending axially'of the cylinders and slidably mounted in a recesslinthe sleeve-valve, means at each end of the link engaging, one ofthe'connecting rods, two relatively rotatable vmembers connected forreciprcation asV a unit, a crank shaft and a crank rod connected *withlthe crank shaft and one of said members, and'means connecting the otherof ysaid-members to one ofv the connecting rods of the pairs or opposedpistons.y

